


Not Alone

by tonystarksass



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Aftermath of Torture, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Iron Man 1, Iron Man Compliant (kinda), Major Character Injury, Pre-Relationship, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 02:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8269139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonystarksass/pseuds/tonystarksass
Summary: Tony. Pepper. Afghanistan.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this idea for a long, long time. The first chapter has been sitting in the depths of my Google Docs for even longer, probably. I felt bad that I abandoned it, so I polished it up and here it is!
> 
> Tags will be added, as necessary.

Tony's gaze lingered on Pepper for a moment before he broke the relative silence that had settled over their caravan, “I feel like they’re driving me to a court-martial.”

Pepper hummed in acknowledgement, not looking up from her phone. Her thumbs moved rapidly across the slick buttons of her Blackberry, already preparing notes and planning several meetings for her boss to attend when they got back to the States. The weapons demonstration had been a success, more were sure to follow. Preparedness _was_ her area of expertise, after all. 

However, the chance of Tony actually hearing her half-response over the soft rumble of the portable radio's "Back in Black" and the rattling of the Humvee was slim to none. She was squished between the heavy door and Tony himself, who had relentlessly insisted that she join him in the Humvee he so delicately deemed as the "Funvee.”

He’d also relentlessly pestered her until she’d agreed to accompany him to the demonstration in the middle of Afghanistan. _“Come on, Pep. I need ya,”_ he’d whined, over and over. His overwhelming persistence wore Pepper down (she _was_ only human), and here she was. Squished.

The bright, sandy desert of Afghanistan quickly transformed into a whirl of tans and browns as their convoy rolled back toward the familarity of Bagram Airfield. Tony, unfazed by Pepper’s lack of a reaction, turned in his seat to face the two individuals at the front of the Humvee.

“This is crazy," he grumbled teasingly, "What did I do? I feel like you’re going to pull over and snuff me." No answer. Tony’s tumbler of scotch and ice clinked in a twisted rhythm with the bumps of the desert. “What? Are you not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest—” Tony continued, before being interrupted by the young solider on his left. _Jimmy_ , Pepper recalled. 

“We can talk, Sir."

“Oh, I see. So it’s personal?” Tony responded without missing a beat. Pepper rolled her eyes.

“No, you intimidate them," the driver answered, glancing back at Tony through the rearview mirror. "Both of you do.” 

“Good God, you’re a woman!" Tony exclaimed. "I honestly—I couldn’t have called that. I mean, I’d apologize, but isn’t that what we’re going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first,” he rambled, a grin pulling at his lips.

“I’m an airman.”

“Well, you have—" Tony paused, tilting his head as he observed the driver, "—actually, excellent bone structure, there. I’m—kind of having a hard time not looking at you now. Is that weird?” 

The Humvee erupted in laughter and Pepper couldn’t help but grin at the way Tony could make anyone, no matter the situation, laugh. She switched off her phone and placed it down in her lap, turning slightly in her seat to fully listen to the banter he evoked. 

“Come on, it’s okay, laugh!” Tony encouraged, delighted to have successfully shifted the mood from professional into something lighter, something more malleable that he could form to his liking. 

After the lingering laughter ceased, the solider in the passenger seat turned around to properly face Tony. Pepper hadn't caught his name and made a mental note to ask him later. “Sir, I—I have a question to ask." 

“Yes, _please_ ,” Tony gestured for him to continue, relieved. Questions he could handle.

“Is it true you went twelve for twelve with last year’s Maxim cover models?” the solider asked curiously. His eyes briefly flicked to Pepper, silently wondering if he'd crossed a line and the question was too inappropriate. Pepper, having averted her gaze back down to her phone, picked at the raised buttons with her thumbnail. The solider looked back at Tony. 

The corner of his mouth had quirked up into a half-smirk, Tony's natural reaction. Fake or no. “ _That_ is an excellent question.” It was, technically. He was more than willing to discuss his escapades. Though, he'd never done so crammed into a small Humvee with Pepper's elbow digging into his forearm.

For just a split second, Tony's eye-line wavered toward Pepper. The action was unnoticeable to the naked eye, one untrained for Tony’s occasionally manic behavior. “Uh, yes and no,” he answered smoothly, his ever-so-charming and charismatic persona oozing from every pore. “March and I had a scheduling conflict, but fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins." Tony quickly cleared his throat, "Anything else?”

Jimmy slowly raised his hand. “You’re kidding me with the hand up, right?”

“Is it cool if I take a picture with you?”

“Yes. It’s very cool." 

The young man smiled and shifted to grab the camera out of his velcroed cargo pocket, handing it over to the soldier in the passenger seat. Jimmy leaned closer to Tony to get both of them in frame and smiled. "I don’t want to see this on your Myspace page. Please, no gang signs," Tony teased when Jimmy held up a peace sign. He quickly pulled his hand down at Tony's remark before he interrupted the motion. “No, throw it up. I’m kidding.”

Pepper smirked, watching the interaction. She knew Tony loved meeting fans and it was always particularly interesting to observe how he acted in front of them. The differences between his public persona and his private one was extrodinary.

“Yeah, peace. I love peace,” Tony said to no one in particular, “I’d be out of a job with peace.”

“Come on, hurry up—just click it," Jimmy said to his friend, causing them to banter for a moment. "Don’t change any settings, just click it." The light moment was lost, however, when the Humvee in front of them suddenly exploded with an earsplitting roar and a blinding realm of cascading fire. 

The five occupants of the "Funvee" gasped and screamed at the suddenness of the explosion. The brakes squealed loudly underneath them before the Humvee came to a violent stop, rubble and debris scattering and bouncing off the metal surface of the hood and roof. 

“What’s going on?” Tony asked desperately, panic and confusion etched across his face. “What have we got?” No answer was directed to him, however. Suddenly, their driver unbuckled and grabbed the gun that was slung across the middle console of the Humvee. “Contact left!” she yelled as she threw open the driver door and exited the vehicle, before being shot down immediately. 

“Tony?” Pepper called his name softly, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrifying sight that was unfolding before her very eyes. Her head was spinning. Nothing felt real. Everything was numb, she was stunned. Frozen in place. The voice of one of the soldiers pulled her back into the sensitivity of the situation. “Jimmy, stay with Stark and Potts!” The soldier seated directly in front of Pepper ordered before climbing out of the Humvee, gun in hand. 

“Stay down!” Jimmy yelled, pushing on the backs of Tony and Pepper until they were clear of the vulnerability the windows offered. The Humvee roared with sounds of ricocheting bullets. Sand and smoke filled the air, making it difficult to see who was shooting or where they were shooting from.

Tony and Pepper were both leaned down to the left. Pepper's hand was pressed against Tony's leg in an attempt to awkwardly balance herself. "Tony!" she shouted over the deafening noise, finding her voice. His name was the only word she could process amidst the chaos. Tony heard her this time, but before he could respond, they both witnessed the brutal death of the second soldier. The force and suddenness of it caused the pair to lean back up against their seats.

“Son of a bitch!” Jimmy yelled, cocking his gun before throwing open his door and exiting the Humvee. 

“Wait, wait, wait!” Tony called after him, holding up his hand. “Gimmie a gun! I gotta protect her!” 

Ignoring Tony, Jimmy faced them. Pepper saw that, under his helmet, his eyebrows were scrunched and a bead of sweat had gathered just above his right eyebrow. He quickly secured the left side door before peering in through the window at Tony and Pepper. “Stay here!” 

The young soldier turned, but before Jimmy could take two steps forward, he was immediately pierced with a scattered array of bullets. They encircled the Humvee around him with tiny holes who, miraculously, chose a path that missed both Tony and Pepper. 

Pepper instinctively grabbed onto Tony’s arm to steady herself. Both of their ears were ringing, now. With the aggressive noise of the attack muffled, Tony swiftly looked around the Humvee for a weapon. Anything that he could potentially protect himself and Pepper with. Hell, he'd settle for MacGyver-ing one right then and there. Unfortunately, there was nothing. He willed his eyes to focus, again. Nothing. 

His heart dropped even further when he witnessed the last of the visible soldiers being shot down. Eyes wide, Tony suddenly found his wits and quickly turned toward Pepper. “We can’t stay here, Pep!” 

“What?” Pepper responded, loudly. Shell-shocked. Her ears were still ringing.

“We need to move, come on!” 

Tony leaned over Pepper and opened the door to the right side of the Humvee, ushering her out and immediately grabbing hold of her hand. 

“Whoa, wait—uh,” Tony murmured, the sunlight temporarily blinding him. Where were his sunglasses? Had he dropped them? Everything was brighter and enhanced and much, much louder outside the Humvee. He froze. 

“Tony?” Pepper said, her boots sinking into the sand slightly. “Tony! Hey! Come on, we need to move, remember?” She brought her free hand up and shook his shoulder, roughly jarring him out of his initial shock. A shell exploded near them, pelting the pair with sand. 

“Uh, right,” Tony murmured, scanning the area, “Over there!” He pointed toward a collection of rocks that, more or less, had the potential to protect them from nearby explosions and stray bullets, at least temporarily. 

Pepper tugged on Tony’s hand, quickly leading him toward the location he’d pointed out with unmatched concentration. The pair quickly kneeled down behind the rocks just as another shelled exploded behind them. A sandy whirlwind of bullets followed. 

Tony sat up and placed his hands on both sides of Pepper’s shoulders, conducting a brisk once-over of her body for any prevalent injuries. Satisfied with his findings, he allowed himself to take a much-needed breath. “You okay?” he asked, dazed eyes finding hers when she didn’t answer. 

“Are _you_ okay?” Pepper countered, her voice wavering. 

Tony clenched his jaw and nodded, the color leaving his face when a sickening realization settled upon him. Not a realization really, a name. 

_Rhodey._

“Oh, shit,” Tony murmured, “Rhodey. Pep! Rhodey. I gotta—I gotta go get Rhodey!” 

“Wha—Tony,” Pep managed to get out, but was interrupted as Tony quickly stood, hunched over the rock as much as it would allow. 

“Stay here! I’ll be right back,” Tony told her curtly and, before she could protest, ran toward another collection of rocks. Bullets kicked up behind his every step. 

“Tony, wait!” Pepper called after him, crawling over to the edge of the rock’s lip to keep a close eye on her boss. 

Tony huffed and leaned his head back against the rock, breathing heavily. He glanced over towards Pepper’s location, immediately feeling uneasy about leaving her. Once again, his impulsiveness got the best of him. 

Before he could make any further decisions, however, he heard an incoming whistle and a tiny whump. Something was close or landed close, rather. To him. Beeping. It was beeping now.

Tony glanced over and spotted the source of the beeping, a small missile. A very active, half-buried-in-the-sand missile. With _his_ company’s name plastered across its side. He was barely on his feet when the damn thing detonated in his face, ruthlessly throwing him onto his back. 

“Oh my God, Tony!” Pepper yelled frantically, witnessing the entire incident from behind the rock. “Tony!” 

He landed roughly between the rock collection he'd run to and the one where he'd left Pepper, leaving him very much exposed to the weaponized chaos. The wind was knocked out of Tony instantly, a thin layer of dust and sand settling over his face and goatee and suit once he stilled. 

“Tony!” Pepper cried out, to no avail. He was a sitting duck out there, she knew, but she couldn’t run to him—not with the war continuing to tear through the desert. She couldn’t help him; her stomach dropped at the realization. 

Tony's ears were ringing, blood pounding in them. He could faintly make out someone calling his name. There were spots pulsing behind his eyes. He grunted and forced his eyes open, blinking a couple of times as they readjusted to the brightness of the sunlight pouring down on him. His chest felt tight. 

“Tony, please!” 

He looked down and saw small circles of blood pooling along the center of his white button-down. Gasping, Tony managed to get his hands under his shirt and popped it open, sending buttons down into the sand beside him where they immediately buried themselves. 

The sight that greeted him was horrifying. His bulletproof vest had been pierced—everywhere. Tony couldn’t accurately process what his eyes were seeing, however. It was bad, he realized, but his brain was scrambled and weak. He was too tired to properly hold his head up, even. 

Tony slowly closed his eyes, the sun continuing to scream behind his lids as darkness consumed him. He lost consciousness to the sounds of Pepper’s screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have a plan for how this is going to go, but I didn't want to waste the idea. Maybe putting it out into the world of AO3 will motivate me to finish it (hopefully). I'd love to hear your thoughts in the meantime!


	2. Chapter 2

Tony grimaced. His nose filled with the stench of blood, antiseptic, and—something surgical. He’d assume he was in a hospital, but it felt incredibly dark and grim. Wasn’t that a thing, bright hospitals?

There were loud voices, too. Lots of them. Yelling in another language he didn’t quite have the brainpower to place. And the pain was _beyond_ extraordinary. He couldn’t even open his eyes because of it. Were they helping him? Torturing him? Both? He honestly couldn’t tell. 

Every single one of Tony’s nerves were screaming, especially in his chest. It felt like someone had their entire hand inside his sternum and was carelessly moving it about. Suddenly, the pain increased drastically. Burning and tearing. His skin blazing, engulfed in imaginary flames. 

He screamed and began thrashing his head from side to side, just wanting the pain to end. He’d give anything for it to subside. _Anything._ And by some miracle (chloroform), it did. 

Tony’s last thought before losing consciousness was about Pepper. 

—

Pepper awoke with a start, breathing heavily. Her head was pounding and her lips were dry. She slowly ran her tongue across the cracked skin, barely gathering enough saliva to accomplish such a task, and swallowed roughly. 

It was dark and cold, wherever she was. The only light in the room was peeking out from behind a small floodlight in the corner. Pepper turned her head. There was a small bedside table on her left. A lone canteen sat upon it. 

Slowly, she sat up and wringed her hands together, attempting to warm them. The cot creaked lowly underneath her weight. At this angle, Pepper got a better look at the room she was in. But, it wasn’t a room, really. It was more of a—cave? 

There wasn’t much in it, either. Her eyes darted from each piece that occupied the cave with her. Some lockers, a rickety table, the cot she was sitting on, another one beside her, a piece of a mirror mounted on a support beam, a fire pit, and two large, metal doors on the far side. 

Pepper swallowed again and reached over to grab the canteen, sighing thankfully when the weight indicated there was liquid inside its walls. She quickly drained half of the water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. After setting the canteen down in its original spot, Pepper examined herself for injuries. 

Her limbs seemed fine, save a few cuts and scratches, but her ribs ached. And from the amount of sand in her hair, she assumed she’d been dragged through the desert. Probably carried at one point, too. The thought made her skin crawl. 

However, nothing hurt worse than not knowing what happened to Tony. Or Rhodey, for that matter. She exhaled quietly, her warm breath momentarily fogging the crisp air in front of her. 

Before Pepper could take another shaky breath, she heard voices outside the doors. Loud, commanding ones. She froze. 

Locks creaked open on the other side. Pepper’s eyes widened and she stood, quickly moving to one of the corners of the cave. Her heart pounded rapidly as she wrapped her arms around herself, sinking into the darkness as best she could.

The men were yelling again and she couldn’t quite place the language they were speaking. Dari? Maybe Arabic. She wasn’t sure. 

The dimness of the corner worked in her advantage as the men who poured inside paid her no mind. They were too preoccupied by carrying something—no, _someone_ into the cave. 

Pepper couldn’t see who it was, given the amount of men surrounding them. They set the figure abruptly down on the cot she’d been previously sitting on, adjusted the person’s limbs, and left. 

The sound of the readjusted locks echoed throughout the cave before quietness engulfed it, again. The steady pounding in Pepper’s ears subsided slightly and she stepped forward, gasping as she immediately recognized who the men had carried in. 

_Tony._

Pepper rushed over to his side, kneeling down to get a closer look at him. Tony’s skin was stained with a mix of sweat and blood and his mouth was opened slightly. His eyes were closed, but he looked anything but peaceful. There was a breathing tube in his nose and his chest was completely wrapped in gauze with a protrusion in the center. He was wearing different clothes too, she observed.

“Oh my God,” Pepper whispered as her eyes slowly followed the wires sticking out from underneath the gauze to the car battery they were connected to. 

She stood and leaned over Tony, carefully running her fingers over the top of the battery. _What_ was it powering?

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 

Pepper jumped and narrowed her eyes, searching the darkness for the source of the voice. A man stepped out from behind the shadows and Pepper shuffled to stand at the end of the cot Tony was lying on. 

“Who are you?” she demanded, lowly. 

The man chuckled softly. “My name is Ho Yinsen. And yours?” 

Pepper blinked, watching the man—Yinsen—closely. “Do you know what happened to him?” She gestured at Tony with one hand. 

“Yes." Yinsen moved passed Pepper before sitting down on the other cot, facing away from her. He looked at himself in the makeshift mirror and ran a hand over the grey scruff that was etched across his chin. 

Pepper squinted, confused. “ _What_ happened to him?” 

“I saved his life,” Yinsen answered simply, without turning around. He carefully leaned over and grabbed a razor off the table near his cot. 

“You did this to him?” Pepper asked and Yinsen hummed. She watched quietly as he gently ran the blade against his jaw. Satisfied with his work, Yinsen stood and turned around to face Pepper. 

“I removed all the shrapnel I could, but there's a lot left,” he explained softly, “It’s headed into his atrial septum.” 

Pepper’s eyes widened and she looked down at Tony. He hadn’t moved a muscle. “Here, want to see? I have a souvenir,” Yinsen said, pulling a small glass vial from the pocket of his vest. He shook it and the contents rattled quietly. “Take a look.” 

He tossed the vial at Pepper and she caught it with both hands, holding it up against the light to see the small metal pieces of shrapnel inside. “I've seen many wounds like that in my village,” he continued, “we call them the walking dead because it takes about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs.” 

Pepper looked back up at Yinsen, slowly absorbing the information he’d told her. Her head was swimming and it was all _very_ overwhelming. “And the car battery—” she started, but was immediately interrupted. 

“An electromagnet,” Yinsen informed her, “In his chest. Hooked up to a car battery, as you’ve noticed. It’s keeping the shrapnel from entering his heart.” 

Pepper sighed shakily and gently scooted Tony’s legs so she could sit beside him. 

Yinsen stood and walked over toward one of the lockers, opening it. He grabbed a washcloth, a can of beans, a fresh roll of gauze, a small pot, and a book of matches. Pepper watched, quietly.

“Here,” Yinsen said, moving back toward Pepper. He handed her the washcloth and gestured at the canteen before setting the gauze down on the table. He moved away and Pepper opened the canteen, wetting down the washcloth. She ran it over her face before wetting it again, slowly scooting up closer to Tony so she could reach his face.

Pepper draped Tony’s left arm over her lap and simply watched him breath for a moment before gently pushing his sticky bangs off his forehead. She carefully ran the washcloth against his face and neck and hair, cleaning the tacky substances off him as best she could. Tony stirred, but only slightly. 

Satisfied, Pepper stood and laid the washcloth on the table beside Tony to dry. She sighed and glanced down at him for a moment more before turning to look for Yinsen. Pepper spotted him kneeling over a fire in the middle of the cave, stirring a glop of beans around in a pot. 

Yinsen stopped whistling when she joined him. “I’m Pepper. Pepper Potts," she told him, softly.

“Pepper Potts,” Yinsen repeated. Pepper nodded and warmed her hands over the fire before scanning the cave again. She noticed a security camera in one of the top corners that she hadn’t noticed before. They—whoever they were—were watching them. 

Yinsen watched Pepper out of the corner of his eye before breaking the airy silence that had settled between them. “I met him once, you know, at a technical conference in Bern.” 

“Oh?” 

Yinsen hummed. “He gave a lecture on integrated circuits. It was quite an interesting way to rain in a new millennium.” 

Pepper thought for a moment, “I didn’t work for him, then.” 

“You work for him?” Yinsen asked, fully looking up at Pepper. “Hm.” 

Before Pepper could respond, however, they were interrupted by a piercing wheeze and a small cough. 

Tony was awake.


	3. Chapter 3

Before Pepper could get to Tony, he had already pulled the breathing tube abruptly from his nose. He groaned lowly, hissing through clenched teeth. His shaky hands curled into small fists, weakly thrashing about at his sides. 

“Tony. Hey, hey,” Pepper said softly, wrapping both her hands around one of his. “You’re okay.” He was, right? Kinda. He was _alive_ and, hell, that was something.

Tony’s eyes were hazy, unfocused. He grimaced and his face contorted into a terrifying mix of relief and horror when he realized who was sitting beside him, whose voice was echoing through his head. 

“P-Pep?” Tony sputtered, his voice gravelly and feeble. 

“Hi,” Pepper breathed, watching Tony closely. His movements were stiff and pained. Her heart ached. 

He coughed, hot breath briefly fogging the air between them. Another round of pain snaked its way around his chest.

Pepper gave his hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance before leaning over and grabbing the nearly-empty canteen. “Can you sit up for me, Tony?” she asked gently, continuing to hold onto his hand to provide a sliver of reality after awakening to a seemingly never-ending nightmare.

He winced, wheezing heavily as he clenched and unclenched his fists, but, he slowly did as she requested. The battery shifted as Tony did. 

“Careful,” Yinsen cautioned, watching the pair with gentle eyes from the cot opposite them. 

Tony froze, bristling up protectively as best he could. He eyed the unknown man for a moment before looking up at Pepper, uncertainty locked in his deep, brown eyes. 

Pepper nodded, silently indicating that the man, Yinsen, was alright. Confident in her judgement, Tony turned his attention to the wires protruding from his chest. 

He lifted one of his hands and lightly traced the cold, flexible metal with his fingers until his eyes settled on what they were connected to—a car battery. Tony’s eyes widened, the gauze that was wrapped around his chest suddenly very noticeable and _very_ constricting. 

“Tony, wait—” Pepper started, but was interrupted by his pushy hands. He frantically tore at the gauze, groaning lowly. 

Yinsen watched Tony’s movements, preparing himself for when he discovered what was lying beneath the gauze. Encapsulated in his sternum. 

Tony momentarily paused his strained efforts to tap at the hard surface protruding from his chest. He briefly glanced up at Pepper with terrified eyes before continuing, tearing away the last layer of gauze to reveal—well, he wasn’t exactly sure. But, it wasn’t good. 

Tony breathed heavily, throwing his arms to his sides. Completely and utterly exhausted. 

—

Pepper calmed Tony down. Yinsen introduced himself and explained the surgical process, informed him of the duties of the electromagnet. 

Tony’s head was spinning. The room was too. His throat still ached and he tried to swallow, but failed miserably. 

“Wat—” Tony started, but was interrupted as Pepper held the canteen’s edge up to his lips. Her hands were shaking slightly and she gripped the sides of the canteen tightly in an attempt to cover the movement from Tony's darting eyes. 

Tony wanted to flash her a thankful smile, his signature smirk, something, but the temptation of water was too great and he tipped his head back, guzzling the rest of the liquid down with Pepper’s assistance. 

Pepper capped the empty canteen and set it back down on the table, watching Tony again. He closed his eyes for a moment, a sigh falling from his cracked lips. A quiet moment passed and he popped one eye open, the other followed momentarily. 

Pepper had turned back to glance at Yinsen, giving Tony approximately five whole seconds to just—take her in. 

He blinked. She was stunning. Tony was pleasantly aware of that fact, of course, having spent a good part of the last decade looking at her. But now, huh. 

“Potts,” Tony whispered, drawing her attention back to him. Pepper turned quickly, her messy ponytail bobbed. 

“You okay?”

“Oh—um,” Pepper breathed, surprised by his question. “I think so, yes. Yes. I’m okay.” She was, right? Kinda. Alive, at least.

“Good,” Tony replied, watching her for a moment more before glancing over at Yinsen. “Where are we?” 

Before Yinsen could answer, the trio was interrupted by gruff voices from outside the metal doors and the sound of the lock mechanisms being released. 

Yinsen quickly stood, motioning for Tony and Pepper to do the same. “Come on, stand up!” he ordered through clinched teeth, walking around Tony’s cot and placing the car battery in his lap. “Stand up!” 

Pepper stood swiftly and moved to aid Tony, but Yinsen grabbed onto one of his arms before she could and pulled him up. Tony grimaced at the sudden movement. “Just do as I do,” Yinsen told them quietly as men began to pour into the cave. He moved to the other side of Tony. “Come on, put your hands up!” 

Pepper followed Yinsen’s lead, arms stretching out and behind her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tony do the same. The car battery was tucked safely under one of his arms, the other stretched up as far as his injury would allow.

As the men drew closer, Tony immediately recognized the weapons they were smugly brandishing. _His_ weapons. “Those are my guns,” he murmured, “How did they get my guns?” 

“Do you understand me?” Yinsen questioned firmly, “Do as I do.” 

Tony clamped his mouth shut, his jaw clenched and twitching near his temple. 

Yinsen, Pepper, and Tony watched as the men slowly inched toward them, until—who Tony assumed was the head honcho—spoke, breaking the unsettling silence. He spoke deeply, amusingly. Tony nor Pepper could understand him. 

The man continued to speak, gesturing at Yinsen when he finished. Yinsen turned toward Tony slightly, “He says, 'Welcome, Tony Stark. The most famous mass murderer in the history of America.'"

Tony tensed, eyeing the large man who was rocking on his heels. The bastard was _smiling_ at him. 

The man spoke, again. "He is honored," Yinsen translated softly. 

The man continued his long-winded monologue as Yinsen summarized his words directly after they were spoken. “He wants you to build the missile,” Yinsen paused, listening. “The Jericho missile. That you demonstrated.” 

The man leaned over and stuffed a blurry, black and white picture into Yinsen's hands. Both Tony and Pepper leaned closer to get a better look. 

Yinsen spread the curled paper out with one hand, revealing an image of a Jericho missile. “This one.” 

Pepper gasped softly. The picture had been taken at the demonstration, from a distance. They'd been watching them for a _long_ time.

Tony's eyes were glued to the image, prying them away only to look back into the eyes of the man who had the audacity to threaten him with _his_ weapons and demand one of _his_ weapons to be built. By _him._ In his _hellhole_ , of all places. 

Yinsen and Pepper watched Tony carefully. The horde of men standing in front of them did, too. All eyes were on Tony. A tense, heavy moment passed. 

“I refuse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm horrible at updating regularly, but I do not intend to abandon this fic. I promise! Hope you're enjoying it so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are depictions of water torture in this chapter. If that sorta thing bothers you, ya might wanna forgo this one.

Pepper hugged both of her long legs against her chest before resting her chin atop her knees. The cave was freezing and she was still dressed in the outfit she’d worn to the demonstration. Heavy boots, black cargo pants, and a matching button down. Casual, yet appropriate. 

Her dark green jacket had been lost somewhere between the transition from the desert to the cave. The bulletproof vest she’d worn under her jacket was gone, too.

Pepper sighed and watched as Yinsen approached her, holding out a small bowl of food—the beans he’d started to prepare earlier. She took it from his hand, grateful for his continuous hospitality. “Thank you,” she said softly, mustering up the strength to smile kindly up at him. 

Yinsen nodded and placed the other bowl down. For Tony, she presumed. He leaned over and grabbed the empty canteen from their shared bedside table before walking over toward the row of lockers. 

Pepper watched, letting the temperature emitting through the bowl warm her hands. 

Yinsen lifted a small jug of water from one of the shelves, carefully refilling the canteen without spilling a drop. The steady hands of a surgeon. He returned to Pepper and handed her the canteen with another small nod. 

“They supply us with one container of water a day,” Yinsen informed her, turning and sitting down on his cot, facing her. His legs draped over the edge.

Pepper nodded, trying her best to retain that tidbit of information in the back of her exhausted mind. It was useful, after all. Between bathing, drinking, keeping Tony’s wounds clean, and—using the bathroom, somewhere—one jug of water for the three of them was going to cut it close. 

She sighed again and looked down at the brown mush sitting in the bowl. It stared back at her. Better than nothing. Pepper ate, slowly. Needing to keep her strength and awareness up, just in case an opportunity to—escape, attack, run, something, anything—arose. The sluggish meal warmed her insides, but didn’t cease the consistent shiver slithering down her spine. 

“They will not kill him, you know,” Yinsen stated, breaking the silence. 

Setting the empty bowl down on the table beside the gauze and canteen, Pepper nodded at Yinsen’s words. She wasn’t completely convinced of his statement, but she needed to remain positive. For Tony’s sake, at the very least. 

“They need him. He is useful,” Yinsen paused and looked up at Pepper, a sad smile forming on his lips. “Why do you think they keep me around?”

Pepper thought for a moment. “Why would they keep me, then?” she asked, unable to contain herself. Like he’d have the answer, somehow. And, in a frightening way, he did.

“You must be useful.” 

—

Tony usually enjoyed water. Hydrating. Beaches were fun. Baths too. It was wild and unpredictable at times, like him. Unfortunately, his enjoyment of water was quickly evaporating. Being tortured could do that to a guy. 

The men forced Tony’s head underwater for, what felt like, the hundredth time. Tony screamed, his throat raw despite the watery conditions. The unforgiving liquid invaded his mouth immediately. 

He gagged, panicking. Blackness throbbed around the edges of his eyes and, just when he thought he was going to lose consciousness, his head was forcefully yanked from the water. 

Tony violently spit the excess water from his orifices. Nose, mouth, the works. The sudden intake of air burned his lungs. Water ran down his hair and face. He blinked, vision blurry. 

Before five seconds could pass, Tony was underwater again. Honestly, he was worried about the electromagnet. He wasn’t sure if it could properly handle water, let alone be half-submerged in it. With his recent bout of luck, the damn thing would end up short-circuiting. 

The throbbing around his eyes appeared again. His lungs were burning, adding another level of blistering pain to his chest. Losing consciousness wouldn’t be so bad at this point, he figured. 

_"Tony!"_

Pep? 

Huh. His brain, fuzzing from an extravagant lack of oxygen, decided Pepper’s voice was the one thing he wanted to hear. It wasn’t necessarily wrong, rarely was.

With a renewed sense of spark, Tony thrust all his newfound energy into fighting back against the numerous sets of hands holding him down. He pushed his head free of the watery prison below, sputtering and breathing heavily. 

He thrashed against the men, but the action was immediately extinguished when one of them grabbed two handfuls of his hair and yanked back _hard_. 

Tony yelped loudly. The next thing he knew, he was lifted up onto his feet and a bag was thrown over his head. Hands were all over him again; holding him up as he walked, pushing him forward, catching him when his knees buckled. 

He could only catch glimpses of the shadows of his captors from behind the scratchy burlap. Deep voices and commands he couldn’t understand. Tony clutched the car battery closer, his fingers curling around it's edges. 

Light invaded the small indentations in the bag and he hoped to God they were outside, so he could get a better look at _where_ the hell they were being held. Suddenly, Tony was stopped. The bag was ripped from his head and he was immediately blinded by the brightness of the sunlight. He squeezed his eyes shut, white dots lining the blackened vision behind his eyelids. 

Tony slowly opened his eyes and the sight that greeted him wasn’t fulfilling. As it turned out, _where_ they were being held was tucked between a mountain range. His heart sank. He couldn’t see anything beyond them. No distinguishing features or identifiable landmarks. Just expansive mountains and more goddamn sand. 

Then, Tony’s eyes fell to the bustling weaponry hub settled amongst the desert in front of him. An odd place for one, all things considered. One of the men roughly pushed him and he nearly tumbled headfirst toward the hub. Tony grabbed onto the arm of the nearest individual with his free hand, steadying himself. 

His eyes remained glued to the weapons, however. They looked eerily familiar. Tony shuffled down the small mass of sand, his heart dropping further and further with each calculated step. Stark Industries’ logo was plastered aside every single one of the exposed weapons, boxes, and crates. Big, medium, small. Every single one bore his company's name. 

Tony clenched his jaw, anger pulsating throughout his weak and injured body. He glanced over and noticed Yinsen on his left, unsure of when he was brought down or how much of the outside he’d observed. Everything, he assumed.Nonetheless, Tony was content to see a familiar and non-hostile face. 

The large, bearded captor who appeared to be orchestrating the whole operation was suddenly in front of him again and Tony stopped, jaw ticking. The man, Bakaar, uttered a single word in his native tongue and Yinsen translated. “He wants to know what you think.” 

Tony eyed the man viciously. “I think you got a lot of my weapons,” he responded lowly, a dangerous crackle in his voice. Yinsen translated his response and Bakaar continued, circling Tony. 

Tony turned to face him once more, adjusting the car battery under his arm. The burly man gestured to Yinsen when he finished his speech. “He says, uh, they have everything you need to build a Jericho missile," Yinsen paused. “He wants you to make a list of materials.” 

Bakaar spoke again and outstretched his hand for Tony to shake. “He says, uh, for you to start working immediately, and when you're done, he will set you free.” 

Tony looked down at the man’s chubby, dirty hand. He was out of options, really. He forced a smile and raised his right hand, shaking Bakaar’s hand. Silently sealing his fate. 

“No, he won’t,” Tony stated, his smile fading. 

“No, he won’t,” Yinsen echoed. 

Bakaar smiled wildly and looked from Tony to Yinsen, nodding his head. 

Tony stared off into space, his eyes dark and hardened. _How the hell are you gonna get out of this one, Stark._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologizes for the delayed update!

Tony’s trek back to the cave was rough, plagued with anger, shame, and guilt-filled thoughts. His captors took no mercy on the visibly injured man; shoving him when he slowed and spitting at his heels. 

Before Tony could fall completely forward, however, Yinsen quickly grabbed onto his right arm to balance and guide him. Tony hissed through his teeth at the touch, greatly favoring the arm Yinsen grabbed ahold of. He was shivering, too. Hands shaking slightly behind closed fists. 

The clash between the warmth of the sun and the dampness of cave was drastically unnerving. Tony’s hair and clothes had already dried in the dry heat, free of any sign of his previous water torture. 

Relief flooded both Tony and Yinsen when the brigade reached the large metal door tucked away inside the cave, boldly marking the entrance of their captivity. The men barked out orders and cocked their guns when the door was completely open. Yinsen gently patted Tony on the back and peeled away from his grasp. 

With both of his hands on his head, Yinsen slowly moved deeper into the cave. As he disappeared into the semi-darkness, Tony caught a glimpse of fiery hair reflecting off the lights and the corner of his mouth twitched. 

The men barked again and Tony moved forward. Slowly, following Yinsen’s lead. It wasn’t slow enough for one of the men, however, and he roughly shoved Tony from behind. 

Tony wheezed as a fresh round of excruciating pain stabbed and echoed through his chest when he hit the ground. The stench of stale, musty dirt invaded his nostrils and buried itself underneath his fingernails. He breathed raspily, vision blurring as the electromagnet throbbed. He wanted to throw up. 

He faintly heard more harsh commands and the sounds of the door being locked and sealed behind him. How many times could a person nearly lose consciousness in one day? Tony wasn’t sure, but it looked like he had unintentionally set out to break a new record. 

Suddenly, Tony felt small hands on his back. Next to his right shoulder blade. Much too small and gentle to belong to anyone within this hellscape. Except one person. 

“Tony,” Pepper said softly, rubbing small circles onto his back. She was knelt down, knees in the dirt, and comforting him. Her pants were getting dirtier, he noticed. After a moment of breathing through the sharp rounds of pain, Tony spoke. 

“Say my name again," he murmured as he glanced up at Pepper, offering her a sluggish smirk. The tight, worried line Pepper had been wearing quirked up slightly at his quip. 

Slowly, with calculated movements, Tony began pushing himself off the ground. He faltered slightly, but with Pepper and Yinsen on each side, was able to successfully navigate his way into a standing position. 

“You’re as tough as iron, Stark,” Yinsen told him firmly, moving away once he was sure Tony was relatively steady on his feet. 

Tony breathed a rough chuckle and shrugged, “Yeah, well.” 

He reached up and brushed away the excess dirt off the front of his shirt and cheek with the palm of his hand, grimacing as he rolled his shoulders. Boy, they were wound tight. He was gonna need an extraordinary masseuse after this. Maybe a therapist, too. Definitely Pep. Always Pep. Tony turned and faced his most loyal gal. 

Pepper, herself, hadn’t been able to tear her eyes away from Tony. He looked different. She couldn’t place it. Broken, almost. It seeped all the way up into his warm eyes. An unsettling shiver rolled down her spine. _What_ had they done to him? 

The fuzzy sound of Tony’s voice ripped Pepper back from imagining several horrible scenarios. “What?” she asked, looking into his eyes. He was facing her fully, she hadn’t noticed until now. 

A low chuckle rumbled deep in Tony’s throat and goosebumps appeared on Pepper’s fair skin. “I _said_ , ‘they didn’t hurt you, did they?’” 

Pepper breathed, again, and shook her head, “They haven’t paid much attention to me, really.” 

Tony nodded curtly. “I’m gonna keep it that way,” he informed her, a sharpness in his voice that she’d never quite heard before. He reached up and cupped Pepper’s upper arm, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze. His thumb swiped across the inside-material of her shirt. 

“Did they hurt _you_?” Pepper asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper, but her tone spoke volumes. Soft, knowing. Kind. Everything Pepper was rolled into four words. Of course, Tony knew she knew. Maybe not the extent it had progressed to, but she knew. 

Tony released her arm, shrugged, and grimaced at the movement before gesturing wildly with his hand for a moment. “Ya know, uh, they just roughed me up,” he swallowed, observing her closely. His jaw ticked nervously. 

Tony was exceedingly aware she could read him like a well-used, well-memorized book, but hey. He wasn’t lying. Technically. 

Pepper nodded slowly, mirroring his motion and cupping his upper arm before giving it a reassuring squeeze. The lack of visible wounds, save the ones he had before leaving the cave, made her worry spike exponentially. She believed him, of course, but there was more. There almost always was with him.

—

The trio ate dinner together, huddled around the fire. Although their meal was only composed of baked beans and water, they all shrank into as much comfort as a warm belly could provide. 

Yinsen had been seated across from Tony and Pepper before he called it a night and retreated to his cot. 

Pepper sat next to Tony, still. Her eyes flicked from the roar of the fire to Tony’s bouncing knee. She glanced up at him and his face was etched with hard lines and a clenched jaw. She was sure he was going to end up cracking his teeth if didn’t ease up. 

“Hey,” Pepper said gently, softly bumping her right shoulder against his left one. The pressure on Tony’s jaw loosened instantly and he glanced over at Pepper, dark eyes finding hers. 

“What are you thinking?” 

The whites of Tony’s teeth flashed against the light of the fire, “That’s a loaded question.” Pepper held his gaze until he looked away, back into the fire. 

Tony sighed and wringed his hands together, “I don’t know, I just—I _wish_ you hadn’t come. Not that you don’t make for good company, but ya know, the threat of them—” He paused, jaw continuing to clench multiple times. 

Pepper scooted closely to Tony before reaching up and placing her right hand on his back, small fingers splayed out widely. She rubbed his back in clockwise circles. Tony squeezed his eyes shut and silently counted out ten of them before breathing properly again.

A small sigh fell from his cracked lips before continuing. “If they _hurt_ you, Pep, because of me. Or if I bite the dust a-and leave you—” 

“Don’t say that,” Pepper interrupted, her fingers unintentionally curling amongst the material of his jacket at the thought. 

Tony sighed again. “Who’s to say how long this electromagnet is gonna last before it, ya know,” he raised both his hands and made a small _pssh_ sound, indicating an explosion. 

Pepper gave him a stern look, pulling her hand away from his back and settling it in her lap. Tony felt the impenetrable weight settle on his shoulders again with the loss of her gentle touch. 

Even though Tony’s gaze was focused on the fire, he could still feel Pepper's look silently boring holes into him. With a small huff, Pepper stood; stepping over Tony’s feet. She glanced back at him, “Come to bed.” 

Tony looked over at Pepper, his eyebrows disappearing into his bangs, “What?” 

“There’s only two cots. Yinsen has one, so we’ll have to share the other,” Pepper explained, her cheeks warming slightly. She flashed him another look. Tony blinked. 

Pepper walked over to the cot, shaking out the blanket Yinsen had provided before laying it over the grimy mattress and folding down a corner. She sat down and started removing her boots, unlacing them carefully and stretching out her toes. Even _they_ ached. She couldn’t even _begin_ to imagine the pain Tony was in. 

Then, Pepper removed her jacket and belt, laying them both meticulously on the table beside the cot. She undid her hair from her ponytail before running her fingers through it, watching as Tony shuffled shyly toward her. 

“Are you sure about sharing the cot? It’s awfully small and I can sleep on the floor,” Tony sputtered quickly, gesturing at the dirt beside the cot once he was close enough. 

Pepper looked down at the area Tony was pointing to before looking back up at him. He shrugged, gritting his teeth at the movement. “I’ve slept on worse places.” 

“We’re sharing,” Pepper said firmly, “Now, come here.” It was freezing in the cave, and yet, her cheeks were warm again. Tony did as she asked, taking a couple of steps closer before sitting down beside her. The cot’s springs groaned under his weight. 

Pepper helped Tony take off his shoes and then his belt and jacket, laying them atop her own. He held the quip about how she was undressing him that had settled on the tip of his tongue. Besides, she’d done it before. He hadn’t been completely sober, but still. She’d done it. 

“Pain level?” Pepper asked, dabbing at the side of Tony’s face with the damp, reused washcloth to remove the dried blood caked along his hairline. 

“Uh, a solid seven, give or take a few ticks,” Tony answered, watching her movements carefully. Pepper hummed, laying the washcloth out to dry once satisfied with his cleanliness. 

“I, uh, don’t believe I can lay on my side, Doc,” Tony told her, “Too much strain on the ol’ chest.” 

She nodded, “No, you’re right. You should lay flat and I’ll just—adjust.” A smile smirk spread across Tony's lips. 

“Stop," Pepper told him, shaking her head slightly. 

Tony moved to lay down on his back, groaning slightly as he pulled the blanket up over himself. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You don’t have to, it’s you.” 

He smirked, again. 

Pepper ran her fingers through her hair a couple more times before moving to lay down beside Tony, wiggling herself underneath the blanket. Their ankles clanged together. She could feel the warmth radiating off Tony immediately and it subsided her own shivering drastically. 

He had always been a physically warm individual, but Pepper hoped it wasn’t something more. A fever settling in, prefacing the deadly build-up of a possible infection in his chest. She adjusted her position, squeezing her body up against Tony’s to eliminate the chance of either one of them falling off the cot. 

His left arm was outstretched behind her head, providing her with a pillow, of sorts. Her face was pressed against the side of Tony’s shoulder; both of her arms bent and tucked in front of her. He smelled like sweat and iron and something else she couldn’t quite place, but was distinctly _him_. 

Pepper's fingertips brushed against his side, near his ribs. She felt Tony's arm move, the part unoccupied by her head curling up around her shoulder. His forearm was pressed against it, fingertips barely grazing her.

Pepper breathed slowly, listening to Tony’s low breaths and watching his chest rise and fall. She glanced up at him and his eyes were already drooping, not that she blamed him. He’d arrived at the metaphorical gates of the Hell, was promptly drug through them, and, then, tossed back out. Before being grabbed from behind and dragged through a couple more times. 

Honestly, she wanted to cry. For him. For her. For Rhodey. For Yinsen. For the lost lives of the soldiers who’d protected them. Pepper’s bottom lip started to tremble and she nuzzled closer to Tony, not caring that she was crossing the delicate line of employee-employer that she'd etched so carefully over the years. That line had been shattered the moment they'd been dumped into this horrifying situation together.

At the movement, Tony opened his eyes fully and turned his head, his nose brushing into her hair. 

“I got you, Pep.” His breath was warm against her scalp and a shiver rolled down her spine. 

A rogue tear rolled down Pepper’s cheek and landed at the crook where her elbows were bent. She sniffed. “You always do.” 

“Debatable.” Pepper didn’t respond, but a small smile graced her lips. 

“You’ve had me for the last, I don’t know, ten years,” Tony continued, his voice light. “I think it’s time to mix it up a little.” 

Pepper breathed a chuckle and shook her head. “Go to sleep, Tony.” 

“Night, Ms. Potts.” 

Tony was asleep within minutes. Pepper felt his arm grow lax around her and his breathing slowed into an even, steady pace. 

She laid there, awake against Tony’s side, for hours. Terrified the men would attempt to take Tony (or her, or Yinsen) while they were all sleeping. Pepper peeled out of Tony’s hold, making sure not to wake him, and sat up on the cot. Her socks brushed against the dirt below her. 

Her rogue tear had been reduced to a dried trail on her cheek and she rubbed at it before rubbing her entire face. She reached over and grabbed the canteen Yinsen had refilled, draining a quarter of it in a few gulps before placing it back down. 

Pepper sighed quietly. She watched Yinsen sleep for a moment, wondering how long he’d been held captive here. How long he’d had to serve these horrible people. He didn’t deserve it. _They_ didn’t deserve this. 

She turned and looked at Tony. His head was tilted toward her and his eyes were shut, eyebrows scrunched together. His mouth was gaping open slightly where he was breathing deeply. Pepper smiled. He always looked so docile and vulnerable when he was asleep.

Pepper gently moved back against Tony’s side, making sure not to jostle him when she pulled the blanket over the both of them. Tony grunted in his sleep and moved slightly when her head came down onto his shoulder. She held her breath, but, thankfully, the movement didn’t wake him. She nuzzled further into Tony, folding her limbs to fit against him. 

He was so strong. The strongest man she’d ever worked for. Ever had the pleasure of working for and befriending. They could get through this. 

Somehow. 

_Together_.


End file.
